Pupils are celebrating after topping last year’s record breaking GCSE results despite changes which teachers thought could see grades fall.

Teenagers had no reason to be nervous opening their envelopes when results were released yesterday which saw exam results in the borough improve by 0.5 per cent.

The number of pupils from Bracknell Forest run schools achieving five or more A*-C grades, including both English and maths, rose to 63.9 per cent from 63.4 per cent last year.

Both Sandhurst School in Owlsmoor Road and Garth Hill College in Bull Lane achieved their best ever results this year. A total of 71 per cent of pupils at Sandhurst and 63 per cent at Garth Hill gained five of more GCSEs, including English and maths, at A*-C.

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Nationally GCSE pass rates fell with 98.5 per cent of pupils achieving A*-G down from 98.8 per cent in 2013.

Janette Karklins, Bracknell Forest Council’s director of children, young people and learning, said: “It is very pleasing to see results have improved on last year’s high level, particularly because nationally it has been well publicised that there are several reasons to suggest there could be some variations in this year’s results, making it difficult to compare them with previous years.

“Changes in the way students are assessed, the way in which results are counted in league tables and developments in the compulsory English GCSEs may all have had an impact on performance.

“Our schools will be analysing these factors in detail in the weeks ahead to give us a clearer picture of the impact of any of the changes that have been made to the assessment and grading of exams this year.

“It is already clear, for example, that nationally there has been a fall of almost two per cent in the number of A*-C grades in English.

“Against this background, our schools have done exceptionally well to improve the overall level of performance in the borough.”

Nationally, the number of pupils achieving A*-C grades in English fell from 63.6 per cent to 61.7 per cent.

The number of children sitting their exams in the borough rose from 1,082 last year to 1,176 this year.

The number of children passing their GCSEs has risen year on year in the borough since 2009 as well as consistently topping national averages.

Councillor Gareth Barnard, the council’s executive member for children, young people and learning, said: “It is very pleasing to see continuing improvement in the borough’s GCSE results.

“It is particularly pleasing to note the best ever results at two of our schools at a time when teachers have had to contend with a number of significant changes to the examinations system.

“Congratulations to all those young people and members of staff whose hard work has been rewarded with these results.”